Injury Claims and the Alarming Rise in Animal Attacks

There has been a marked increase in the number of animal attacks incidents in southern California. Recent newspaper reports indicated an upsurge in serious injuries cases which often involve pet dogs and young children.

The article, “Two Southern California Dog Bite Attacks Reported This Week”, posted on February 2, 2008, described two incidents of animal attacks in Fontana and Westminster. According to the article, in one incident, a young boy and his brother were chased and injured by a dog which was allegedly set off by its teenage owner. In another incident, another boy was attacked by a pit bull and was only rescued from further injury by a passing mailman.

Incidents like these may be common but as they occur in increasing regularity one cannot help but ask: can anything be done about it?

Local authorities in places where dog attacks are prevalent have certainly adopted measures to curb these incidents. At any rate, there are existing laws which protect animal attack victims and penalize negligent owners of dogs and other pets, especially animals with records of aggressiveness and violent behavior.

If you have been involved in an incident like this, the best you can do is to file an animal attack injury claim against the animal owner. In this way, you can get compensation for your injuries, in case you are harmed, and also prevent similar incidents from occurring.

In making a claim for this type of injury, proper documentation is necessary. Medical records, investigation reports regarding the incident, and the expert opinion of professional animal trainers to evaluate the behavior of the attacking animal are only some of the vital elements of a claim.

Like most personal injury damages, animal attack injury claims are governed by the torts law. In California, for example, these claims are pursued by establishing and proving who is at fault or negligent in the case, who can be held liable for their breach of duty, and what are the damages involved.

However, to make an effective claim for damages, you need to get the services of a legal expert, one who has extensive experience in the field. A lawyer who has the skills and experience in handling cases of similar nature can greatly improve your chances of success in obtaining your claim.